Long Marston

Rail Innovation Centre

A world-leading facility for
testing, innovation and
skills development

Our 135-acre site in Warwickshire is tailor made for innovation. It’s a place where the industry can come up with and trial new ideas and technologies.

With the UK’s only electrified loop, Long Marston increases the country’s capacity to test and commission new fleets, and develop solutions that make the railway safer, more reliable and sustainable.

With over 15km of sidings and a high-quality Asset Management Facility, the site offers a full turnkey solution for testing and maintenance.

There are also spaces and facilities to host a wide variety of industry training courses, from small group classroom sessions to large multi-agency major incident exercises.

Rail Live

The Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre is the home of Rail Live, a two-day event that has become the UK’s largest outdoor rail exhibition. In 2026 we welcomed over 7,000 industry professionals and 300 exhibitors.

History of Long Marston

In 1940, on the site where the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre exists today, the Ministry of Defence established the Royal Engineer’s Supply Depot to store equipment during the Second World War, as well as creating training facilities and workshops.

Towards the end of the War, space was also given over for German Prisoners of War. In 1948, these sections of the Depot were repurposed to house Polish Servicemen as part of a resettlement programme. While the accommodation was closed in 1974, a chapel made for the Polish Community remained in use until 1999.

While activity decreased during the 1950s, the Royal Engineers continued to use it for storage and supply until 1999. By this time, the adjacent railway line to Stratford-on-Avon had closed but the connection to the national network at Honeybourne remained and it was this that enabled the site to enter the 21st century with a new purpose.

The large, rail-connected site created many challenges and opportunities but in 2004 St Modwen acquired the facility from the Defence Estates and much of the former Engineers’ Depot became the new community of Meon Vale.

In 2018, it became the home of the hugely popular Rail Live event.

Porterbrook, having identified that the railway needed more space to test and innovate, took over operations of the site in 2021 and subsequently acquired the freehold in 2024.

In five years, Porterbrook invested over £75m to tarmac roads, refurbish or replace buildings, install a top of the range security system, build an underpass and renew and electrify the 3.5km test track – the UK’s only continuous test loop.

To maintain the site’s heritage, we have ensured older buildings have been replaced with similar structures.